Man injured in leap from house fire

May 16, 2011

LINCOLN â€” In an attempt to escape from a burning three-story tenement house early Monday morning, a man leaped from a third-floor window and suffered serious injuries, Manville Fire Chief Pete Adam stated.
â€śHe didn't suffer any burns, but I believe he broke both his legs,â€ť Adam said later Monday. â€śLincoln Rescue (personnel) transported him to Rhode Island Hospital â€¦ This was one of the worst fires I've seen (in this village) in quite a while.â€ť
Four others â€” including three residents on the second floor and another on the first floor â€” fled the house when the conflagration started, and they were uninjured.
Manville firefighters responded to the one-alarm blaze at 349 Old River Road at 3:46 a.m., Monday, and crews from Albion, Quinnville and Cumberland Hill followed suit. Upon arrival, firefighters observed flames bursting from second- and third-floor windows.
â€śThe second and third floors received extensive damage, and there was a lot of water damage to the first floor,â€ť Adam noted. â€śIt took us about two-and-a-half hours to extinguish the fire.â€ť
He also explained the slate roof above the third-floor apartment, which really was an attic, made it difficult for firefighters to penetrate.
Several hours later, the State Fire Marshal and other investigators were on scene, trying to locate the source of the fire, Adam said. He didn't say if he deemed it suspicious.
Firefighters also saved two pets from the home.